p. 24 | To Correspondents by Editor

Publishing Committee · Battle Creek, Mich. · Dec 8, 1859

To Correspondents.

By Editor

A. S. of Wis. : We believe the Bible to be the only creed, and that the only legitimate bond there is to hold the church together is the power of truth and love. In regard to dealing with members, we do not think the Scriptures represent it in the light of cutting off or casting out. But when a person is guilty of disorderly walk, the directions we have are to withdraw ourselves from him, and have "no company with him, that he may be ashamed." Your query should have been noticed before but was overlooked. Perhaps these few suggestions will answer as well as an article.

G. W. E. of Ohio : The three messages of Rev. xiv, of course have a proper time in which to be proclaimed. The first message could not go forth and be true, until the hour of God's judgment was at hand. It could not therefore have been given in the days of the apostles, nor of the reformers. We believe, for reasons set forth in our publications, that it was given at the right time just previous to 1844; the third following in order, subsequent to that time. Concerning the mark of the beast, Sunday-keeping has undoubtedly been that mark ever since the beast, by the institution of Sunday observance on his own authority, displaced one of the commandments of God, thus leading people to bow to his authority instead of that of God. But as we have many times said, so say we again, that we believe that from that time till the present there have been many good and Christian men who have paid reverence to Sunday ignorantly and therefore without sin. It is not however consistent with God's glory that it should always be thus. The breach in his law must be restored; the commandments must be kept in their purity; and as the light has come, and the true character of the work of the man of Sin now appears, the warning is now applicable, "If any man worship the beast," &c. We believe that now, whoever, after having the light clearly set before him, deliberately bows to the institutions of the man of Sin instead of those of God, receives the mark of the beast; but that where these circumstances are or have been wanting, nothing is imputed. It follows that the world must be tested on this point; and to those who reject the light, the words of Christ will directly apply: "If I had not come and spoken unto them they had not had sin; but now have they no cloak for their sins."

C. E. S. of Me. : Those who will not admit the divine commentary of Acts vii, 5, and Heb. xi, on the Abrahamic inheritance, could not probably be helped by any human reasoning. The promise to Abraham embraced, as Paul expressly tells us in Rom. iv, 13, the whole world; that it embraced the primary possession of the land of Canaan by his descendants as a type of the final and glorious inheritance there is no doubt; and we regard it as in this respect only that the possession of that land is said to be in fulfillment of the promise of God to the fathers. See Josh. xi, 23; xxi, 43, 44; xxii, 4, &c.

H. H. of Wis. : The time of observing the Sabbath, and the time of commencing the day, are probably the most important times changed by the little horn of Dan. vii. We do not look upon the time of commencing the year as of any particular importance, and should regard any attempt to change the calendar as altogether uncalled for and impracticable.

A. G. C. of Wis. : In our remarks last week concerning your query on Rev. xx, 4, we inadvertently wrote "those who worship the image of the beast" &c., for "those who do not worship," &c. See also 4th line of third paragraph and third line of fourth paragraph. This correction is essential to the sense of the article and will therefore we presume be readily supplied by all.